4 Wheel Drive or not

In my opinion, no. Of course, it depends on the type of climate, conditions you expect to drive in. In the mid-west, it seems 2WD is the exception. I personally prefer 2wd, but the last truck we bought had to be 4wd since that was the only way I could get the towing package w/o ordering a truck...I prefer dealer inventory (esp when its been there..for the deals).

That said, I've not had a real need to use 4wd in the 35k miles I've put on the truck. Have I used it? Yes...to see if I could go through the huge amount of snow in my back yard this past winter...but that's the exception since I wanted to try the 4wd!!!

If you can save 12k, I'd personally go for it. 4wd adds weight, complexity and slightly lessons the towing capacity.

My 2 cents, discounted to a single penny.

Depends on where you plan to drive. If mainly on paved surfaces, then you do not need 4WD.
If you plan to go off-road, then 4WD is probably a good idea.
I run a 2WD 2500HD and have had no problems, but most of my driving is on paved or gravel roads.
I try to avoid wet grass as that is where a 2WD could run into trouble.
For $12K savings I would go for it - you can get towed out of trouble many times for that if it was ever needed.

If you don't know, that typically means you don't need it.

Once hooked up the rear axle will have plenty of weight to get good traction and you aren't likely to get into any serious off road situations anyway.

If you are just looking for an excuse to get a 4x4, by all means you need one.

Only you can determine that. Will you drive the truck a lot in the winter/snow? Will you drive the truck a lot off road? Do you have a problem with calling a tow truck if you do get stuck? Do you plan on selling the truck before you get all the good out of it?

I've had 4-wheel drive trucks in the past and now I drive 2-wheel drive trucks. But my truck is strictly a tow vehicle, never is driven in the snow, and the most off road it will see is an occasional gravel road, very occasional. My philosophy is KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid.

However, for some reason 4-wheel drive trucks have a higher resale value than 2-wheel drive, so if you plan on getting the most out of your truck at trade-in time, plan accordingly.

Do you NEED it, depends where you tow and what you tow! I tow horses once in a while in slippery farm yards. We also four season camp and have run into snow, the extra traction and control of a 4X4 sure will pay for itself in those conditions.

It is one of those personal choice items!

I drove a 2 wheel drive chevy for 12 years and only needed 4 wheel drive twice.
I now have a 4 wheel drive Dodge because that is all I could find on the dealer lots around here.
If the chevy you are looking at has the locking rear end, you probably won't need 4 wheel drive for towing a 5th wheel.
Hard to sell a 2 wheel drive in the Pacific Northwest.

If it is used and 2x4 vs new 4x4, the difference should be more that 12K. Value at resell will go down much faster for a 2x4. Chris

The 4x4 guys will jump in shortly and say you gotta have it. But I agree with above, even though I have a 4x4. If you do not drive in snow, stay in parks/campgrounds with paved/graveled roads and sites, and do not go off road, there is no need for a 4x4.
I have towed my 5er for 7 years and have never put the truck in 4x4 while towing. Only time I have ever used it is the infrequent ice/snow we have here, and getting into/out of our hunting area when it rains.

Just my $.02:

It really depends on where, when and how you travel. If I had the flexibility to avoid snow & gravel/dirt roads I would certainly have gone 2WD.

If you NEED to travel in inclement weather and or on less developed roads go 4WD.

4WD will not only cost more up front but will also burn more fuel and increase maintenance costs. For me it more than pays for itself when I have to drag a trailer over a snowy mountain pass in February.

valhalla360 wrote:
If you don't know, that typically means you don't need it.

Or, it means you will find out the hard way. I've used mine several times at soggy campgrounds. Many people don't need 4wd though. As said, "just depends".